Exercising machine



May 11, 1937. E. J. CLEM EXERCISING MACHINE Filed July 31, 1935 Ti 6 H00 a;

Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES EXERCIS ING MACHINE Earle J. Clem,Decatur, Ark, assignor of forty per cent to Vern D. Hall, Decatur, Ark.

Application July 31, 1935, Serial No. 34,103

6 Claims. (Cl. 128-25) The invention relates to exercising machines, andhas for its object to provide a device of this character having fluidcylinders controlling slidable members adapted to be grasped by theoperator and means for alternately applying fluid pressure to oppositeends of adjacent cylinders for re- L versing the direction of movementof the slidable members thereby simultaneously applying force towardsand away from the operator during the 10 operation of the machine.

A further object is to pivotally mount the horizontal portion of themachine so that the horizontal portion may assume a vertical position,thereby allowing the machine to be used as a leg exerciser, similar to awalking or running operation.

A further object is to provide the slidable members with hand gripmembers out of registration with each other and adapted to be grippedand pulled in directions opposed to their direction of movement so thatthe arms will cross during the exercising operation for insuring apositive movement and exercising of the muscles of the upper portion ofthe body.

A further object is to provide a reversible fluid motor having pipeconnections with opposite ends of the cylinders and valve controlmechanism reversed at the ends of the strokes of the slidable membersfor allowing the motor to apply fluid pressure to the opposite ends ofadjacent cylinders, thereby causing a continuous reciprocation of theslidable members.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in thecombination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth, shown in thedrawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes.in theprecise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of whatis claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure. 1 is a perspective view of the exercising machine. V

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line 22 ofFigure 1, showing in dotted line position the forward handle forillustrating its relation to the handle on the other slide.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the main carriage of the device. 1

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the exercising machine, showing the sameadjusted to a vertical position for a leg exercising operation.

.Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view through a conventionalform of variable oildelivery pump.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral I desighates the base of theexercising machine, 2 the standard therefor, and which standardpreferably has slidably mounted therein a piston 3 on the upper end ofwhich the exercising device is mounted. The standard 2 has connectedthereto an air supply pipe 4, whereby air,.oil or any other fluid may beutilized for adjusting the exercising device to various elevations. Inthe following description, the device will be described as operated witha fluid, and it is to be understood that this fluid may be air, oil orany type of fluid.

Clamped to the standard 2 is an outwardly extending bracket 5, whichbracket terminates in a motor and rotary pump supporting base 6, onwhich the motor I and the reversible fluid pump 8 is mounted. The pump 8is driven by means of a belt ll connecting the same to the motor.

Pivotally and adjustably mounted on the upper end of the piston 3 at I0and held by an adjusting clamp l l is the frame l2 of the exercisingmachine. It will be noted that the frame I2 may be not only adjusted tovarious horizontal elevations, but may be also adjusted and held atvarious inclinations, thereby allowing the adjustment of the deviceaccording to the height of the 2 operator, or the device to be tilted toa vertical position as shown in Figure 4 for leg exercising purposes. Itis to be understood that any number of exercising machines may be usedand the source of fluid supply may be obtained from a single reversiblemotor for operating all of the machines. In the illustration the motoris shown as a unit of the device.

The frame l2 has rigidly mounted in the transverse partitions l3 thereofspaced cylinders M which are slidably mounted pistons l5 which extendbeyond the forward end of the frame I2, and are connected at Hi to theforward ends of the slides ll, which are slidably mounted in oppositesides of the frame l2 as clearly shown in Figure 2. The forward ends ofthe slide members H are provided with removable hand grip members l8which are adapted to be alternately reciprocated away from and towardsthe operator with a positive pull on the arms of the operator or a pushagainst the operator, thereby providing a positive power movement inboth directions during the reciprocation of the pistons l5 and theslides I! carried thereby. When the device is used in a verticalposition as shown in Figure 4 for a leg exercising operation the framei2, with its slides i1, is tilted to a vertical position and footreceiving members If! are applied thereto, preferably by mounting thesame on brackets 20 which are placed in the slides ll after the removalof the handle members I 8. When the device is used in this position theoperator grasps the handle members 2| to steady himself during the legexercising operation. It will be noted when in this position'theoperator simulates a walking operation and that the legs are flexedagainst a positive up and down movement during the entire operation.When a standing still walking operation is desired the foot receivingmembers l9 are used with the frame [2 horizontally disposed, and as thefoot receiving members l9 are mounted in the brackets 22 on the sides ofthe slides l1, it will be noted that they will be reciprocated formoving the legs positively forwardly and rearwardly and the operator mayuse leg force in opposition to this line of force for stretching andexercising the leg muscles.

Fluid is alternately forced into opposite ends of the cylinders M formoving their pistons I5 in opposite directions as clearly shown in fulland dotted lines in Figure 3. To accomplish this result, the reversiblefluid motor 8 is provided with discharge pipes 23 and 24. The dischargepipes 23 and 24 merge into pipes 25 and 26. It will be noted that thepipes 25 and 26 have their ends connected to and discharging intoopposite ends of the adjacent cylinders l4 'so that the pistons withinthe adjacent cylinders it will be 4 moved in opposite directions'formoving the slides I! in opposite directions, as shown in Figure 3. Asone of the slides I1 approaches the ends of its movement, one of thepins 21 engages the pivoted rock lever 28 and rocks the same, therebyimparts pulls on one of the connecting members 29, which are in turnconnected to the arms 30 of the reversing shaft 3! ofthe reversiblefluid motor 8, thereby causing the direction of fluid to be changed andpressure to be alternately applied to opposite cylinder ends throughdischarge pipes 23 and 24 and pipes 25 and 2B. The members 29 may berods or flexible members or they may be stretchable members for allowingan upward adjust'ment of the exercising device.

For exercising the arms and chest muscles the slides l1 are providedwith hand gripped members 32 and 33. The member 32 is removably mountedin a socket 34, while the member 33 is removably mounted in a socket 35,which is in turn adapted to be adjusted or placed in any of theapertures 36 for positioning the handles 32 and 33 in relation toeachother. It will be noted that the handle 33 extends upwardly andtransversely across the machine to a position where it would pass thehandle 32 as. the slides l1 reciprocate.

In exercising the arms and chest the operator grasps the handle members32 and 33, and as the handles are reciprocated with the slides'l'l, theoperator can tension the muscles against the reciprocating action ormovement, thereby stretching all of the muscles and exercising the same.It will be noted that the handle members 33 can be adjusted so they willpass each other, thereby crossing the arms during the reciprocation ofthe slides. The reversing pins 21 may be adjusted to various positionsin the apertures 31 of one of the slides IT for reversing or regulatingthe amount of travel of the slides.

From the above it will be seen that an exercising machine is providedwhich may be adapted to all exercising conditions for exercising arm andleg muscles and other muscles of the body, and the device is simple inconstruction, fluid operated and if desired may be used in seriesgetting its fluid pressure from a central plant if desired. This isparticularly desirable in gymnasiums where a number of machines could beused side by side.

Although a reversible pump is shown for purposes of illustration, and avariable oil delivery pump, it is to be understood that any kind ofpump, whether reversible or not may be used, and any number of pumps. InFigure 5, in which a variable delivery reversible pump is shown, inoperation, when two shafts in the pump 8a are in line as shown in Figure5, both driver and cylinder barrel 8brevolve together about the samecenter and the pistons 8c lie quiet in the cylinder pumping no oil. Whenthe movable shaft is shifted off-center in relation to the fixed one, asshown, the pistons move in and out as the cylinder barrel and driverrevolve; thus, if the movable shaft is only slightly off center a veryshort stroke results and very little oil is pumped by the pistons. As

' the shaft is moved further off-center, the stroke of the pistons iscorrespondingly increased and the quantity of oil pumped also increased.If the shaft is moved to the left, the oilis drawn in through the upperpassages in the cylinder barrel shaft and designated by the character8d, and is forced out through the lower passages 8e. If the shaft isshifted to the right the oil is drawn into the lower passages Be, andout through the upper passages 8d of the shaft, thus, reversing thedirection of the flow of oil in the pipes leading to and from the pumpand from the other operating mechanism of the exercising device.

Although a particular type of reversible oil pump is described,applicant does not limit himself to any particular kind of pump.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and usefulis:

1. An exercising device comprising a base, an angularly adjustable framecarried by the base, slide bars mounted in said frame, means forreciprocating said slide bars in opposite directions, said meanscomprising a reversible fluid pump, cylinders carried by the frame,pistons within the cylinders, connections between the pistons and theslide bars, cross pipe connections between opposite ends of adjacentcylinders for moving the pistons in opposite directions, said crosspipeconnections being connected to the reversible fluid pump and meanscarried byone of the slide bars for reversing the pump.

2. An exercising device comprising spaced reciprocating bars, a framebetween said bars and in which said bars are slidably mounted, spacedcylinders carried by the frame between the reciprocating bars, pistonsconnected to ends of the reciprocating bars and extending into thecylinders, a fluid pump, cross connected pipe connections between thefluid pump and the cylinder ends and means actuated by the slidable barsfor reversing the pump and the supply of fluid to the cross connectingpipes to the cylinders.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 including a standard on which theframe is pivotally mounted.

4. A device as set forth in claim 2 including a stand on which the frameis pivotally mounted, a bracket carried by the stand and supporting thepump and flexible pipes forming the cross connecting means between thepump and the cylinders.

5. A device as set forth in claim 2 including a supporting standard towhich the frame is pivotally connected, said pivotal connection betweenthe frame and standard being formed so that the frame and slide barscarried thereby may assume a vertical position.

6. An exercising device comprising a supporting standard, a framehingediy connected to the upper end of the standard, body engaging re--spaced from the ends of the frame, means for alternately supplying fluidpressure to opposite ends of the cylinders for reciprocating the slidebars in opposite directions, and means controlled by one of the slidebars as its passes through its channel mount for reversing the directionof fluid flow to the ends of the spaced cylinders.

EARLE J. CHEM.

